High performance explosive compositions are long known and it is a goal for scientists to find new explosive compositions which can be defined as both low impact and shock sensitive, though offer high energy explosive performance. A combination of these properties offers higher transportation, storage and handling safety whilst not deteriorating the overall performance, of an explosive and an article holding it. For example, when applied in armor modules higher survivability is obtained, however without performance reduction, when compared to readily available explosive compositions of similar energetic properties.
Attempts have been made to desensitize solid high explosives, e.g. by mixing one or more energetic materials, relatively sensitive, with much less sensitive or with inert materials. The hope was to reduce the overall explosive sensitivity with increasing safety, and without significant effect on the overall performance of the mixture.
On the other hand, there are processes which successfully make insensitive explosives more sensitive. For example, some commercial slurry explosives are extremely insensitive which allows them to be safely transported through populated areas. When the explosive is emplaced, it is sensitized by mixing in a sensitizing agent, e.g. tiny glass micro-spheres (micro balloons).
A method for enhancing stability of high explosives is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,995 to Nutt, wherein the stability of porous solid high explosives, for purposes of transport or storage, is enhanced by reducing the sensitivity to shock initiation of a reaction that leads to detonation. The pores of the explosive down to a certain size are filled under pressure with a stable, low melt temperature material in liquid form, and the combined material is cooled so the pore filling material solidifies. The stability can be increased to progressively higher levels by filling smaller pores. The pore filling material can be removed, at least partially, by reheating above its melt temperature and drained off so that the explosive is again suitable for initiation.